DBS Rate Increases

[Burt]

Interesting articale concerning the current DBS rate increases.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/business/article/0,1299,DRMN_4_2636613,00.html

 

[Stargazer]

Everytime I try to go to that link it wants to send an Error Report to Microsoft then Explorer shuts down. Anybody else having that problem?

 

[David_C]

Interesting articale concerning the current DBS rate increases.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/business/article/0,1299,DRMN_4_2636613,00.html

Burt has a typo in his link. I've fixed it in the quote, above.

FYI: If you don't want to show just an abbreviation for the link, then just use 'URL', not 'URL='. To see a reference, click on the "vB code is On" link near the bottom of screen when you enter/edit a message.

 

[Stargazer]

Thanks, that link works without a problem.

The reason that many switch to satellite from cable is due to so many rate increases but if satellite is also going to have more rate increases then this is going to deter some people from switching from cable to satellite.

In order to get more profit from each consumer they will need to offer more services and special bundled pricing. The more services that are offered the more potential they have for getting more money from each subscriber, but I think that you can only go so far, that there are limits to everything.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Welcome to Dish Network; the satellite cable company . Were Glad you're here!!
OINK!! OINK!!

 

[cdru]

The reason that many switch to satellite from cable is due to so many rate increases but if satellite is also going to have more rate increases then this is going to deter some people from switching from cable to satellite.

There will always be price increases. That is the nature of the beast. And of course there is inflation. Hoverever, there are justifiable price increases. While it is a little hipocritical of Dish to run their pig ads while simultaneously raising there rates, I think you have to look at the whole picture. As point out in the article, in the last few of years, Comcast has doubled rates. Dish hasn't. I can stand a 4% increase periodically. I can't stand a 6% increase multiple times a year for several years. I fully expect my AT50 rates to go up Jan 1, 2005, but I don't expect them to go up 7, 8, or 9% like my local Comcast rates have the last several years.

 

[Tampa8]

There will always be price increases. That is the nature of the beast. And of course there is inflation. Hoverever, there are justifiable price increases. While it is a little hipocritical of Dish to run their pig ads while simultaneously raising there rates, I think you have to look at the whole picture. As point out in the article, in the last few of years, Comcast has doubled rates. Dish hasn't. I can stand a 4% increase periodically. I can't stand a 6% increase multiple times a year for several years. I fully expect my AT50 rates to go up Jan 1, 2005, but I don't expect them to go up 7, 8, or 9% like my local Comcast rates have the last several years.

I don't understand why more people don't understand this. Opinion is what these forums are for, but I think some just have to post to "hear themselves type." I am only talking about those that will say something like "they better add this or that or I will quit." Dish and Direct both raise rates in a similar manner, in amount and frequency. If you threaten to leave Dish where will you go? Cable generally raises rates at a much more frequent rate, and often a greater percentage also than DBS. In my case, to get about the same programming I have with Dish, my cable bill would be $29 more a month! (after their special offer expires) HBO/MAX alone would be about $8 more. It certainly did seem like a bad consumer relations move to start the Pig ads then raise rates. I think Dish deserves the jokes about that. But we should be more understanding of the whole picture as CDRU points out before trashing Dish as some other threads have over an increase.

 

[Stargazer]

What I was simply trying to say is that satellite used to not have ANY or a LOT less price increases until they had an annual rate increase. I did not state that it was out of range of what inflation is and it was to be expected eventually, I am just saying that edge of having no price increases is not there as it used to be in the past. It does not mean that all the consumers that have satellite will leave because of the rate increases but I have heard some satellite customers threaten to go back to cable and so forth because of the rate increases and so forth forgetting why they came to satellite in the first place.

I thought for sure that Charlie himself said that the additional customers being gained by Dish was helping offsetting the rise in costs but what may have happened is that the prices have increased so much that it could not offset the entire cost. I wonder if Dish is making a profit off of the increase in prices in itself tacking on more to it or just raising the prices on the consumers the amount that they are having to pay more for the services. Dish has to increase their profits as well though due to inflation.